Card index with selecting means



Jan. 28, 1969 w. KOLLER 3,423,862

CARD INDEX WITH SELECTING MEANS Filed March 18, 1966 Sheet 4 0f 2 7 4Fig.2

3 f I I 4 3 /4 Fly. 3 q w I l5 3 5 4 I IHVQHtU/"I Wa/ er K0//er #HorneysJan. 28, 1969 w. KOLLER I 3,423,862 I CARD INDEX WITH SELECTING MEANSSheet Filed March 18, 1966 Inventor United States Patent 3,423,862 CARDINDEX WITH SELECTING MEANS Walter Keller, 9 Hagenbeckstrasse, Hamburg,Germany Filed Mar. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 535,507 Claims priority,application Germany, Apr. 1, 1965,

K 55,698 US. Cl. 40-65 Int. Cl. G09f 19/00 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The invention relates to a card index, consisting of a casewith a drawer (acted on by a push spring and closed by a fillet) foraccommodating index cards with reference numbers, letters and so on, andwith a device for unlocking the drawer and releasing the index cardselected by means of a set key, pushing out the unlocked drawer by meansof the push spring.

It is known to provide a mechanical card index with a drawer foraccommodating index cards and with a device making possible the releaseof the particular index card desired and selected. In this known type ofconstruction there is provided in the front third of the drawer apivotable lid covering the index cards and having a slider type key bymeans of which the desired index card is selected. In this connectionthe key is provided with a bent-over tongue-shaped projection which isguided in stepped recesses provided in the front edge of the index cardsand engages under the selected index card. The key simultaneously servesfor releasing the devices locking the drawer which is controlled by apush spring. After the desired index card has been selected by movingthe key and simultaneously the drawer drive system unlocked, the draweris forced out of the case, the lid of the drawer being simultaneouslyswung up to release the selected index card.

In known card indexes two manual operations are necessary to release agiven index card; to set the selected index card the key must be moved,and only after this the same key is used to unlock the drawer drive. Asthe cards lying over the selected index card are gripped by the swung-uplid and transferred by this into a vertical position, only a smallsurface is available for writing on the index cards, corresponding infact to about a third of the total surface area of the drawer.Furthermore it is difficult to withdraw individual index cards to writeon them. The cards must be drawn out of the yoke holding them. Theswung-up lid partly covers the selector dial of the telephone apparatusapplied on the index case so that this is not freely available. In thecase of known card indexes additional devices are necessary when using adrawer lid which can be swung up, and these seriously increase theliability of the apparatus to accident.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a card index ofsimple construction, permitting writing on and withdrawal of individualcards from the drawer without difficulty and which can be operated byone manipulation. This object is attained in accordance with theinvention in that in a card index consisting of a case with a draweracted on by a push spring and closed by means of a fillet, foraccommodating index cards with reference numbers, letters or thelike-and this is what forms the invention-the bottom of the rearwardlyopen drawer is provided with parallel longitudinal slots for the passageof snug type cams, which are fixed to the bottom of the box type caseand are at a predetermined distance from the case opening,corresponding, when the drawer is pushed in, to the length of a basepart of the drawer bounding a recess and falling away obliquely inrelation to its front wall, at the longitudinal edges of which drawerthere is provided in each case an entrainment member for engagement incorrespondingly shaped entrainment recesses of the index cards ofresiliently elastic material, which have index type selector recessesprovided at the adjacent end face for engagement of the selector keysacting on the fillet for closing the drawer, in such a way that is tosay that when a selector key is pressed down the selected index cardsare bent down with any stack of cards lying below over the cams and arepressed into the recess and in the entrainment element of the drawer,after which the fillet is swung out of its locking position.

For swinging the fillet out of a catch element of the draweraccommodating the fillet there is provided in the path of travel of theselector keys a control rail which can be struck by these and can betipped transversely to their longitudinal direction round a sung, inwhich rail, on the longitudinal side opposite the selector keys, thefillet (pressed by the action of a spring into the catch element of thedrawer) is guided and supported during the swivelling out.

Each selector key is under the pressure of a counterspring and has twolateral shoulders bounding the upward thrust produced by a spring, andbelow these a pin adapted to the profiles of the selector recesses ofthe index cards.

In a further feature of the invention the selector recesses of the indexcards extend at their front ends stepwise from the left and from theright longitudinal side to the center of the index cards; their sizedecreases in conformity with the alternate staggering with each indexcard lying below.

An example of an embodiment of the invention is reprepresented in thedrawing and described in more detail in what follows. In the Figures:

FIGURE 1 shows a multiplicity of superimposed index cards with selectorrecesses provided at their ends, viewed in perspective.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of a card index.

FIGURE 3 shows the card index as in FIGURE 2, but with the drawer partlyrun out.

FIGURE 4 shows the card index, partly in perspective and partly insection.

FIGURE 5 is a further form of embodiment of a card index in verticallongitudinal section, and

FIGURE 6 is the card index as in FIGURE 5, partly in perspective, partlyin section.

In a preferred form of embodiment in FIGURE 4 the card index constructedin accordance with the invention consists of a case 4 with a drawer 2,open at the rear end and guided on the bottom of the case, for

accommodating a multiplicity of index cards. The index cards 1 are ofresiliently elastic material; they are pro vided on their longitudinalsides, that is to say adjacent to the ends of the cards, withentrainment recesses 15. The ends of the index cards 1 have selectorrecesses 20, which extend stepwise from the left and from the right cardlongitudinal sides to the center of the index cards, and become smaller,in conformity with the alternate staggering, with each index card lyingbelow. The alternate staggering is preferably so arranged that the lefthand steps are formed by the first, third, fifth and seventh cards andthe right hand steps by the second, fourth and sixth cards (FIGURE 1).

The base of the drawer 2 (guided in the case 4), which is acted on by apush spring 12, is provided with parallel longitudinal slots 3 for thepassage of snug-shaped cams 5 fixed to the bottom of the case. The cams5 are at a predetermined distance from the opening of the case,corresponding when the drawer 2 is pushed in to the length of a bottompart of the drawer 2, bounding a recess 16 and sloping obliquelydownwards in relation to its front wall; there is provided on itscheek-type longitudinal edges in each case an entrainment element 6 forengagement in the entrainment recesses of the index cards 1.

There engage in the selector recesses of the index cards 1 selector keys7 which act on a fillet 10 to close the drawer 2. Each selector key 7 isunder the pressure of a counter-spring 13 and has two lateral shoulders19, which bound the upward thrust produced by the spring 13. Below theshoulders 19 each selector key 7 is provided with a pin 8, which isadapted to the profile of the selector recesses 20 of the index cards 1.

To close the drawer 2 the fillet 10 engages in a recess 11 provided inthe longitudinal side Wall of the drawer 2, that is to say adjacent toits end face. In order to be able to swivel the fillet 10 out of therecess 11, there is provided in the path of travel of the selector keys7 a control rail 9 which can be struck by them and can be tippedtransversely to their longitudinal direction round a snug 14 formed onthe box-type case 4. There is guided in the control rail 9 on thelongitudinal side (opposite the selector keys) of the fillet 10 pressedunder the action of a spring 17 into the recess 11 of the drawer 2,which fillet is simultaneously supported on the control rail 9 duringthe swivelling-out.

In a further form of embodiment of the card index the pins 8 of theactuating keys 7 are made hook-shaped at their free lower ends. Thehook-shaped pin portion designated by is so arranged that when theactuating key 7 is pressed down the said pin portion engages under thecard stack to be held back and thus holds this securely in position(FIGURES 5 and 6). The surfaces on the bottom side of the hook 25 aremade arcuate, so that in its downward movement the pin 8 can be movedpast the front edges of the index cards without damaging them. In orderto avoid, when the key 7 is pressed down, the front section of the cardsof the stack being lifted as the drawer 2 accelerate forward, theentrainment elements 6 are bent down in a hook shape at their upper freeends in the for-ward direction of movement of the drawer 2. The outerupper horizontal surface of the hook-shaped portion is formed arcuatelyas a journal surface.

The card index formed in accordance with the inven tion works asfollows: When not in use the drawer 2 is held in the case 4. By means ofthe cams 5 guided through the drawer bottom the index cards 1 are easilylifted in the zone adjacent to their end face having the selectorrecesses 20, so that this portion of the cards comes to lie below theselector keys 7 (FIGURE 2).

If a selector key 7 is now actuated by finger pressure the pins 8 ofthis key press on the projecting index card corresponding to the key inthe cut-out zone of the selector recesses 20 of the index cards 1 andbend this over the cams 5 with the other index cards (if any) lyingbelow this index card, so far into the recess 16 of the drawer 2 thatthe entrainment elements 6 engage in the lateral entrainment recesses 15of the index cards 1. Simultaneously any other index cards there may beremaining in the case are held back by the pins 8 in that the said pins8 engage the index card or cards lying above the selected index card 1through the particular larger selector recess concerned and thus preventthis index card and the other index cards lying above it, because of theforces of friction involved, from being carried out with the drawer 2 asthis travels out.

During the further downward movement of the actuated selector key 7 thisstrikes the tippable control rail 9. The lever movement of the controlrail 9 opposed in direction to the key movement causes the swivellingout of the fillet It), resiliently pressed down by means of the spring17, from the catch element 11 of the drawer 2. The control rail 9 andthe fillet 10 are so arranged that the unlocking of the drawer 2 doesnot take place until the selected index card 1 with any other indexcards lying below have been gripped by the entrainment members 6engaging in the entrainment recesses 15 of the index cards and the indexcards remaining in the case 4 are locked.

The forward movement of the drawer 2 is effected after the swivellingout of the fillet 10 from the catch element 11 by means of the pushspring 12 preferably taking the form of a spreader spring. When thedrawer 2 is moved forward, the index cards 1 gripped by the entrainmentmembers 6 are simultaneously drawn out of the case 4, so that theselected index cards, if requisite as the uppermost of a stack of indexcards, are fully available for inspection or for writing on. During theforward movement of the drawer 2 the index cards remaining in this slideaway, because of the resilientlyelastic properties of the card material,over the snugshaped cam 5 and through under the actuate pin 8 (FIG- URE3).

The extent to which the drawer 2 travels out is determined by the lengthof the slot 3 provided in the bottom of the drawer 2. The end of eachslot can have a rubber bolster to reduce the noise made by the impact.

The back of the cam 5 nearest the front side of the appliance is madewith such a marked level that after the removal of the index cards thesecan easily be inserted again in the correct stack sequence.

When the finger is removed from the actuated selector key 7 afteroperating the appliance, this is moved by the return spring 13 backagain into the starting position determined by the shoulder 19.Simultaneously the release rail 9 releases the fillet 10 which catchesin the recess 11 of the drawer 2. The fillet 10 is pressed back into thecatch element 11, if after using the appliance the drawer 2 is pushedinto the case 4. When the drawer 2 is pushed in, the push spring 12 isagain placed under stress and the stack of index cards, as shown in FIG-URE 2, passes into the selection position.

The card index constructed in accordance with the invention is superiorto the known appliances, yet is simpler in design and easier to produce.If operated correctly any error in selection is excluded. The applianceis extremely simple to handle because of the automatic outward travel ofthe drawer and the manner in which the index cards lie completely freein this, i.e. are easily removable, for writing on and so on. If afterthe removal of an index card the drawer is accidentally closed, then byactuating the particular key assigned to the missing index cards, theparticular corresponding index card stack travels out and the missing orremoved index card can then be placed on it. The construction of theappliance is economical of space. The case accommodating the drawer forthe index cards is formed as a base fitting, for a telephone apparatusfor example, with a pedestal surface and base fillets. When the drawerhas travelled out it does not in any way hide the selector dial of thetelephone fitted on the case. The index card which has travelled out isvisible. The hook-shaped construction of the lower free ends of the pins8 of the actuating keys 7 also makes possible a short-period actuationof the selector keys 7, without an error in selection being therebypossible.

I claim:

1. A card index comprising a case having top and bottom walls, a drawerslidably movable relative to said case, said drawer having therein aplurality of flexible superimposed index cards, each of said cardshaving entrainment recesses therein which register when the cards aresuperimposed in said drawer, each card having a selector recessdiffering in width from the recess of other cards, and the cards beingarranged such that the recesses in the cards are progressively widerfrom the first card to the last card, said case having transverslyspaced snug-shaped cams mounted on the inside of the bottom walladjacent the front of the case, said drawer having parallel longitudinalslots for accommodating said earns, a pair of card entrainment membersintegral with the bottom of said drawer received in said entrainmentrecesses, a plurality of transversely mounted and vertically reciprocalactuating keys supported on said top wall of said case and correspondingin number to the number of index cards, each of said actuating keysarranged to abut a non-recessed area of a different one of said cards,whereby vertical depression of one of said keys will bend a selectednumber of said cards over said cams for engaging said card entrainmentmembers within said card entrainment recesses with selector recesses,and a push spring coacting between said case and said drawer constantlyurging said drawer into an open position, releasable means maintainingsaid drawer in a closed position again the action of said spring, andmeans operable by depression of any of said keys for releasing saidreleasable means.

2. A card index according to claim 1 in which said releasable means formaintaining said drawer closed comprises a spring biased filletengageable with a catch element in said drawer, said means for releasingsaid releasable means comprising a rail pivotally mounted adjacent saidkeys and adopted to be pivoted by actuation of a key to move said filletagainst the spring bias to release the drawer.

3. A card index according to claim 1 in which each actuating keycomprises a depending pin portion having a profile adopted to theprofiles of the selector recesses of the index cards, at least onelaterally extending shoulder, spring bias means acting against saidshoulder to normally keep said key out of contact with said cards.

4. A card index according to claim 3 in which the free lower end of thepin is angled downwards in the closure direction of the drawer and thebottom surface of the angled-down section is arcuately formed as ajournal surface.

5. A card index according to claim 1 in which the selector recesses ofthe index cards extend stepwise at their front ends from the left andfrom the right along sides towards the center of said cards and aresmaller in size correspondingly to the alternate staggering at eachindex card lying below.

6. A card index according to claim 1 in which the entrainment member isangled downwards in the outward travel direction of the drawer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,957,260 10 /1960 Zandelin 1042,968,110 1/1961 Quarnstrom 40-104 X 3,167,371 1/1965 Parcher et a1.12916.1 X 3,276,155 10/1966 Conia 40-65 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,027,942 5/1966Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. RICHARD CARTER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 312-319, 333

